Escalating tensions in West Asia led to a 3.4 per cent decline in global air passenger demand in April 2026, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Total demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), fell 3.4 per cent compared to April 2025. However, excluding the Middle East, global demand registered a 1.2 per cent increase, IATA said.
Total capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASK), declined 2.9 per cent year-on-year, while the overall load factor stood at 83.1 per cent, down 0.4 percentage points from April 2025.
International passenger demand fell 5.3 per cent year-on-year, although demand excluding the Middle East rose 1.9 per cent. International capacity declined 5.1 per cent, while the load factor slipped 0.2 percentage points to 83.9 per cent.
Domestic demand remained flat compared to April 2025. Domestic capacity increased 0.8 per cent year-on-year, while the load factor fell 0.7 percentage points to 81.9 per cent.
“The 46.6 per cent fall in demand for carriers in the Middle East due to war in the region was so acute that it dragged overall demand down 3.4 per cent. The situation for air transport remains highly volatile,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh said.
“The cost of jet fuel more than doubled in April, which is pushing airfares up. Forward schedule data is showing a reduced offering in the coming months, indicating that airlines are balancing high fuel costs and weaker demand,” he added.
IATA said the sharp decline in international RPK was primarily driven by continued weakness among Middle Eastern carriers. Excluding the region, international traffic increased 1.9 per cent, with all regions except North America reporting growth.
Asia-Pacific airlines recorded a 3 per cent year-on-year rise in demand, while capacity increased 0.7 per cent. The region posted a record April load factor of 87.5 per cent, up 1.9 percentage points from a year earlier.
However, IATA noted a slowdown in traffic on the Japan-China corridor due to ongoing political tensions.
European carriers posted a 0.9 per cent increase in demand, with capacity rising 0.3 per cent. The load factor improved to 84.9 per cent, up 0.6 percentage points year-on-year. Direct traffic between Europe and Asia rose 15.3 per cent as airlines rerouted traffic that previously transited through the Middle East.
North American carriers reported flat demand growth, while capacity declined 1.1 per cent. The load factor rose 0.9 percentage points to 83.9 per cent.
Middle Eastern carriers recorded the steepest decline, with demand falling 48.1 per cent year-on-year and capacity shrinking 38.4 per cent. The load factor dropped 13.1 percentage points to 70.1 per cent.
Latin American airlines posted an 8.9 per cent increase in demand, with capacity rising 7.2 per cent and load factor improving to 84.6 per cent.
African airlines reported a 2.2 per cent increase in demand and a 1.2 per cent rise in capacity. The region’s load factor stood at 77.9 per cent, up 0.7 percentage points from April 2025.
According to IATA, domestic passenger traffic remained largely unchanged in April as growth in Brazil, China and Japan was offset by declines in Australia, India and the United States. Load factors declined across most major domestic markets except China and Japan, although capacity in the Japanese market has fallen for eight consecutive months.
(ANI Inputs)
